Authority should be allowed to operate: Guina

 THE new Special Purpose Authority board of the Hiri local level government should be allowed to operate, acting Department of Local Government Affairs Secretary Dickson Guina says.

He said all due processes were followed in appointing the board members. 

Therefore, they should not be stopped from performing their responsibilities in delivering projects in the four LNG project villages of Boera, Papa, Lealea and Porebada in Central.

Guina was responding to claims that a faction had threatened legal action against the department and the Central provincial government over the establishment of the authority.

“If disgruntled factions want to take the matter to court, they have all the right to do so,” Guina said.

“But we believe that all due processes were followed in nominating the representatives in an open ballot at these four impacted village.

“The minister responsible for local government affairs endorsed their nominations followed by the swearing-in last month.

“The Hiri SPA has now been given a mandate to start operating as an implementing arm of the Hiri LLG under the LLG Act and the organic law on local level government.”

Guina said the authority should establish its office and recruit staff.

He said funding would be made available by the Department of Petroleum and Energy and the Central provincial government through the Infrastructure Development Grant or IDG component.

Guina said such bodies were needed to drive development in the project affected areas.